The top US diplomat in Hong Kong Monday urged the Chinese government to loosen political controls over Hong Kong which have broken international agreements, undermined the will of citizens and threatened its economy. The PRC has taken steps to “dismantle and destroy” Hong Kong’s freedoms, said US Consul General Hanscom Smith. Beijing promised a high [...]

United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres Monday announced that the UN will investigate the killing and wounding of children in Ukraine, Ethiopia, and Mozambique over the coming year. The UN Secretary General Annual Report on Children and Armed Conflict is released each year and details the amount of children affected by violent global conflicts. According [...]

The US Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) released new guidance Monday, requiring that providers allow abortion in emergency cases where the mother’s life is in danger, even in states that ban abortion. DHHS issued the guidance under the Emergency Medical Treatment and Active Labor Act (EMTALA) and President Joe Biden’s new executive order. [...]

US District Court Judge Douglas Rayes Monday blocked Arizona’s “personhood” law from taking effect. Rayes found the law was too vague, making it likely that plaintiffs will win their case, justifying his injunctive order until the case is settled. Arizona’s “personhood” law was passed in 2021 and states: The laws of this state shall be [...]

US President Joe Biden Monday renewed his calls for an assault weapons ban during a ceremony to celebrate the newly passed Bipartisan Safer Communities Act. The act allocates more spending for mental health and school safety programs, closes the “boyfriend loophole” and better funds crisis prevention programs. However, it does not include many of Biden’s [...]

The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court Monday ruled that no-excuse mail-in voting and early voting are permissable under the state’s constitution. After Massachusett Governor Charlie Baker signed the VOTES Act in June, the law faced legal challenges from Massachusetts Republicans. On Monday, the court declined to grant an injunction blocking the law’s implementation. The new law makes [...]

The European Court of Human Rights (ECHR) ruled Monday that Turkey violated a prior judgement in the case Kavala v. Turkey by keeping activist and philanthropist Osman Kavala in detention. The court had previously ruled that Kavala was wrongfully detained, ordering Turkey to release Kavala and pay damages. Kavala was arrested in 2017, ostensibly for [...]

Russian President Vladimir Putin Monday signed a decree allowing all Ukrainian citizens to apply for Russian citizenship through a simplified procedure. Ukrainians only need to provide proof of Ukrainian residency and citizenship, along with divorce and name-change documents, in order to apply. Parents applying on behalf of their children are also required to provide their [...]

The Directorate of Enforcement (ED), the Indian government’s financial investigation agency, Saturday filed money laundering charges under the Prevention of Money Laundering Act against Amnesty India International Private Limited (AIIPL) and one of its trusts. On Friday, the ED issued a notice imposing fines of INR 51.72 crores, or more than USD 6.5 million, and INR 10 crores, [...]

The US Department of State Saturday announced visa restrictions on 28 Cuban officials allegedly involved in the violent crackdown on the July 2021 protests. This is the US’s fourth round of visa restrictions on Cuban officials. The US Department of Treasury has also instituted four rounds of financial sanctions against many of the same targets. According [...]